UNC and Bill Belichick make the top six for nation's No. 3 defensive lineman

Bill Belichick's name is earning him attention from a lot of highly-ranked recruits, including the No. 3 defensive lineman in the country.
Dec 14, 2024; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head football coach Bill Belichick during half time at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Dec 14, 2024; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head football coach Bill Belichick during half time at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Ever since taking the job at UNC, head football coach Bill Belichick has been making waves in recruiting, in the mix for a lot of highly-ranked recruits. Belichick brings a long history of success with him to the Tar Heels, including winning six Super Bowls, coaching the greatest quarterback in NFL history, and having the third most wins in NFL history.

Some recruits looking to attend UNC to be coached by Belichick could see this opportunity as learning a blueprint of the NFL in college football. For one defensive lineman, he has narrow his choices down to six school, one of them being UNC.

Four-star defensive lineman Vodney Cleveland has narrowed his choices down to Florida, Georgia, Miami, Texas, Auburn, and of course, UNC. After decommitting from Alabama in December, Cleveland has taken his time choosing where he will go next.

Last month, Cleveland made a visit to Auburn and two visits to Florida in the span of three weeks. While it seems he enjoyed his time in Gainesville, the young star defensive lineman still has yet to make his decision.

Cleveland is ranked as the No. 3 defensive lineman at his position in the 2026 recruiting class. In his junior season, Cleveland totaled 50 tackles, which included 7.5 tackles for a loss and added 5.5 sacks to his stat line, helping lead his school to an Alabama 6A state title.

Bringing this kind of talent on the defensive side of the ball would be huge for Belichick adn his squad. Since taking he job in December, Belichick has been hard at work building his team with both the transfer portal and through high school recruiting.

Cleveland still has yet to announce when he will make his decision for his commitment, but here is to hoping that he ends up in Tar Heel blue in 2026.

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